Cafe Saint-Ex has a special place in my heart.
Wavy flashback mode!
It was the summer of 2007. When I first saw the vintage bi-wing propellers on the walls at Cafe Saint-Ex, I was intrigued. My friends thought the vintage bistro feel was nice, but I knew when I saw the propellers that the place was named after Antoine de Saint-Exupery (pardon the lack of accents), WWII aviator and author of Le Petit Prince. The protagonists in his books, like their author, often flew planes into the unknown. For two years, a quote from the Little Prince adorned my fb wall like a talisman: "L'essential est invisible pour les yeux. On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur." Msr. de Saint-Exupery was the writer your man could smell like. (For those familiar with Guerlain, the cologne Vol de Nuit is named after one of his books.)
But on a hot Saturday night, this was not exactly a place for literary reverie. To the dance floor! I played wing-woman while a lucky friend chatted up the lady he would date to this day. She must have been sent by an angel. What a happy place in my memory.
Back from wavy flashback mode!
So when it came time to meet some ladies from my alma mater for dinner, I gave Cafe Saint-Ex a second look. While the servers were a bit harried, the dinner atmosphere on a Monday night was mellow. The tables sat small groups - most sat two or three people each. In a place with such flattering lighting and Euro-bistro decor, it's just a good, semi-intimate space for catching up.
Of the three entrees our table ordered, two of them were stellar. A platter of perfectly-seared, buttery tuna rested on a bed of risotto that tasted faintly of cumin, saffron, and thyme. The rockfish was equally divine - both fish were not only rich and smoky tasting, but they left a clean finish on the mouth. Truly a place for pescetarians or others who are willing to forego red meat for fish - it's a wise choice. To be fair,the one disappointing dish, the chicken tacos, was technically an appetizer. Lukewarm chicken pulled with a green dressing and mangoes on two bland but hearty tortillas were a nice twist on the old chicken salad combination, but I wished for more spice, more kick in my tacos. These were as bracing as a bridge game. To round off the meal, we ordered some sweet potato fries ($5) which were on the thin side, but nicely toasted and sweet.
Dessert had some sleepers. The caramel pot de creme (exactly what it sounds like) arrived in a demitasse-sized ramekin (just small enough) with a nice dulce de leche finish. Very soothing stuff. The tangerine cheesecake was a manageable size. It was creamy and firm, with just a hint of citrus as an afterthought and a triangle of peanut brittle no larger or smaller than the slice of cheesecake itself. I think the brittle was a thoughtful touch, giving an impression of orange rind. The cheesecake's tangerine aspect was not as bracing as I'd like, but this is a place with mellow flavors. The real standouts are the gingersnap ice cream sandwiches, which pair a buttery firm duo of ginger cookies against a zesty, citrus ice cream. It's a dessert that tastes like springtime. My friend declared that, despite her earlier assumptions, she could indeed finish those sandwiches on her own. There are desserts that wake up one's senses, and this is one of them.
Excellent noms. Does its namesake proud.
Food 5/5
Drinks N/A
Decor 4/5
Location 5/5 (short walk from U Street Metro Station)
Worthy of 5 noms.
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